T - It lives up to the name, I've eaten hops (or a hop, several times) before (who wouldnt?) and this is as close to that feeling/taste ive ever experienced in a beer. Dry bitter and overpowering. Maybe a little fruity sweetness at the back end but its pretty hard to tell, it wrecked my palate. I'm going to let this warm up for about 20 minutes and see if I can pick up more of the fruity/citrusy flavors...

Significantly better/more balanced (a ton). Still nice and hoppy but im getting sweet fruits up front, a bitter burst and then a lot of nice lingering citrusy/bitter flavors. Malts not really there on this one. When drank super cold, I'd say 3.25 just too unbalanced, but at ~50-55 severely improved.

M - Medium bodied, now that its warmed up a bit I wouldnt call it a session but not a sipper either. Perfect for a 2 an hour type pace as long as you let it warm up a wee bit.

O - Very very nice aggressive west coast ipa, discovered green flash about a week ago when they started distributing down here and they are now probably a personal top 5-10 brewery for me. love it. (1,337 characters)

The aroma has floral, dankness, pine, orange, grapefruit, along with a sweet bready malt.

The beer comes strong and is aggressively bitter. There is lots of floral hops, a tinge of garlic flavor, but throughout the beer is very green and leafy, almost like used up tea leaves. It almost tastes of a cooked leafy vegetable. It's not a bright green flavor, but substantial and leafy. There's a dankness with a big bready malt that is not very sweet. The finish keeps going one with "greeness" and pine.

A well made beer that hides its alcohol quite well. Unlike a fruity West Coast style of DIPA, this plays on those green and pine hop flavors. Even if it's not one's preference, this is a great beer to have around. (759 characters)

The nose on this one is pretty nice. Shows good character without getting obnoxious and nice subtle tones that still give enough to keep it interesting. Flavor profile is definitely a palate wrecker as it's intense and rich and thick and leaves a lot on your tongue. But not so out there that its a laborious drinker. I can dig it. (331 characters)

Another single I bought today (12oz, $4.00) at The Beer Store. Hadn't done much in the way of hops lately, so have to make amends...

Again, using my fancy-schmancy Sammy glass.... Color is a lovely, clear copper, with plentiful carbo. Head is a touch off-white/light tan, and looks creamy and fine, lasting well. Lacing is all over the sides, too. Nose is solidly hoppy with some light maltiness mixed in. Feel is smooth and silky, with a medium-plus body.

Flavor has a good bit of malty action, more than I was led to believe by the guy at the store, who said this was purely hoppy. Bummed? Hell no! I like a bit of malt, even in DIPAs... Now there is a solid whack of hops here, too, but it's not overly bitter. There's citrus, some resiny pine, a hint of apricot.... Quite nice, all in all... Had this back-to-back with The Illinois, and I'm not sure which I like more.... Leaning a bit towards this one.... Zum Wohl!!

Pours a golden peach skin hue. Clarity and head retention are excellent.

Very dank, resinous marijuana-like aroma. Lighter notes of tropical fruit, and a trace of bubblegum (not sure where that's coming from). A bit of malt, but that's not unexpected for a DIPA approaching 10%. Smells excellent.

This lives up to its name. Sticky, coating, attacking bitterness hits the palate almost immediately, but it (narrowly) avoids astringency. Resinous, herbal, oniony hop flavors are dominant, but there's just enough fruitiness to keep things interesting. There's a trace of malt up front, but the obliterating bitterness soon destroys any trace of sweetness.

The beer is a very clear amber with deep orange hues. Not much in terms of bubble activity rising through the beer. About 2 fingers worth of off white head rescinded down to a film over the top relatively quickly.

Smell of light malt, apricot, pine and some grassy notes. It doesn't smell like a double IPA, nor does it smell like a typical west coast, familiar, but close.

Hehehehe, much more bitter than I was expecting! That it actually made me giggle like that when I sipped it. The whole sip is just a surge of harsh bitterness. I like it.

Mouthfeel is borderline dry with medium to low carbonation.

Quite impressed with this beer, will definitely have another(or ten). (741 characters)

T-sweet caramel, brown sugar malts out of the gate balanced by the hops in the middle and again the malts then a bitter finish. Hops taste mostly of grapefruit, lemon, orange peel and pine. Pine is most noticeable at the finish

M-med bodied beer that gives a mouthful of beer perfect carbonation of the style and abv

O-Very good beer, good balance...alcohol well hidden...not for the meek as you need to really like hops to enjoy this...appropriately named (922 characters)

I was really excited when I saw this on the menu at Mohawk House for dinner. I ordered it second with the knowledge that it would affect any beer following. I also felt like a strong IPA would still come in well against a ribeye with a cajun rub and chimichurri sauce.

This is a very good looking beer. The head is fluffy, and it retained really well. I like the sticky lacing that it left behind.

You get a ton of grapefruit from the head, but you don't have to get close to the glass to experience this. I also pick up a little bit of malt in the background.

Usually these triple IPA's look and smell really good. Then they fall off with taste and feel. Green Flash somehow made 150 IBU's drinkable. They did a good job of offsetting the over-hopping with a good dose of malt. It works out to some amazing hopping. I really liked the flavor on this. This is a hop-heads dream.

Unfortunately the bitterness in the aftertaste is just impossible to balance out. I was tasting this beer on the roof of my mouth over 20 minutes after leaving the restaurant. The malt was gone at this point, and I really needed water to compensate.

This was a very new experience for me. I'm glad to have it. I recommend checking it out. Just know that this beer does not play well with others. (1,281 characters)

Another beer from the Bistro DIPA fest. Bright orange hue, minimal head. Not cask, but lacking carbonation, could have been the end of the keg, had it towards the end of the day.

Citrus aroma, moreso than grapefruit, comes off orange or tangerine. Uber hoppy, duh. Very bitter. Perfect malt pairing, just a notch under balanced.

I've since had bottles of this, it seems to go back and forth descriptor wise between a barleywine and a dipa. I prefer it fresh, and subsequent batches (like even the Toronado BW fest) have been heavier malt wise at times, but then the last one was lighter and more dipa tropical fruit edges to it. Either way, drink asap on the first one to decide where you want it to go from there. Good with or without age. (742 characters)

A: Pours a clear amber with a one finger slightly yellowed head. Not much visible carbonation in the body. Leaves some spots of lacing on the glass.

S: Loads of fresh hop are the first thing you smell, reminds me of a brewhouse. A blend of resinous pine, earthiness and citrus. Solid malt backing on this baby, can tell this is going to be a heavy brew.

T: As the name hints, this is one hop bomb of a palate wrecker. Dominant hops and strong bitterness permeate this brew. Malts make an attempt to back it up but hops win over. Pinyness and earthiness come from the hop. Quite a bitter beer.

M: Full body with a nectar like feel, a bit sticky from the abundance of hops. Low carbonation. Booze is warming but doesnt show up too much on the tongue.

Overall this is a tasty beer for serious hop heads only. Great hop profile that nails the double IPA category. (901 characters)

This beer is straight up orange, clear, and carries a dense foamy, oily looking, light head. Aroma is loaded with peaches, mangos, and cantaloupes. Reminds me of gourmet gummy peach candies. Malts come through as caramal, toffee, and white bread. There's also something in the mix that makes me think of vanilla oddly enough. Simple but large aroma. Taste is intense. This stands up to its name. The bitterness feels implosive. Flavors are heavy with tropical and melon-like fruits and thick viscous bready malt piles. Largly sticky and resinous like pine sap. This does have a bit of pine forest going on...flavors and texture. Carbonation is just big enough to stir up the heavy-ish syrup-like body adequately.

Pretty large multidimensional hoppiness here. I like it though more than one at a time would be excessive. Something like this needs to be enjoyed sparingly. (872 characters)

Pours a clear copper, topped with a thick finger of off-white head. This maintains a frothy ½ finger, ringing the sides of the glass with sticky lacing. The aroma is floral, piney, herbal, and spicy in the nose, with a zesty feeling grapefruit presence and notes of fresh backed biscuits from the malts across the back. This has some nice hoppy power to it in the nostrils.

The taste starts off with a bold hoppy blast of grapefruit, resins, and spice, which lingers hard on the finish. Soft herbal tones, light tropical fruit, and tight sweet grains help to balance out some of the aggressiveness out here but man, that spice and pine sticks to the tongue with some strength. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied and really fills the mouth with a big slick oily creaminess that moves rather easily for the size. There is a bit of light crispness to this, while the alcohol, although not stinging, does really pop the assertiveness of these hops.

My previous experience with this beer had been on cask during a visit to San Diego and I have to say that I really enjoyed this more here out of the bottle. I still feel that it’s a little too big overall but the fresh hoppy power of this wins out in the end, helping cover up the high ABV. This is a nice representation of the West Coast style. (1,328 characters)

Looking a beautiful deep orange/bronze mixture with a nice frothy head. The smell, tropical fruits ahoy! There is a touch of spiciness and onion in the nose as well. Not off putting in the slightest, it actually smells quite wonderful. This thing is practically a Quad IPA if such a thing were true. So the initial and sustained bitterness is not exactly a secret with this beer called Palate Wrecker. The onion hits harder on the taste and fills around the bitterness and burst of tropical fruits. The mouth is actually kind of smooth and creamy but with a huge dry finish. Medium carbonation in play.

It's a huge hop bomb that does what the name implies. I think I need to lie down now. (689 characters)

A - pours a medium orange gold that's clear with minimal head and a thin white lacing ring, no carbonation. Head starts thick but dies down quick.

S - The nose is full of spicy tropical fruit orange and grapefruit rinds. Peppery and resinous.

T - Follows the nose and lives up to the title. Spicy tropical fruit resins, peppery, and ground fruit rinds. The caramel malt in this beer is merely a formality. Sweet malt hits up front but gets beaten down by a wall of bitterness. Finishes with a spicy sweet bitterness and is gradually replaced with just a straight up bitter aftertaste.

Picked this up while in San Francisco. Smells like roses, I mean west coast ipas. Pours a dark, clear amber/copper colour. Tastes very bitter and piney. It does as the name suggests and leaves a nice tingle feeling. The high 9.5% alcohol is well hidden with each sip though. Prefered this a little more on tap, but its still pretty solid in bottle too. (352 characters)

On-tap at the Yardhouse and served in a pint glass. Is that a good idea? On to the beer:

Dark orange/bronzed color with a healthy inch of foam on top. Both the head retention and the lacing meet my standards of good. Even better is the aroma. It's a big juicy nose, full of pineapple, tropical fruits, and some pine.

Full bodied, strong, filled with big citrus and grapefruit flavor. And it's not terribly bitter. But make no mistake, it still is a palate wrecker. The alcohol hides itself well, showing itself primarily when it heats the chest. It's not a beer you'll want to chug, but it also isn't a beer for mere sipping.

Count it as one more good hop related nectar to come out of San Diego. (701 characters)

Very assertive, super hoppy, high-alcohol, thick, chewy, bitter as all get out (supposedly more than 100 IBUs), but... really quite good too. I find it hard to drink all that much, simply because of the high-alcohol, but it's a good lesson in how you can make a super bitter hoppy beer that simply does not take any prisoners, and yet keeps you coming back for another sip.

The taste underneath the bitterness is very american, fruity, a bit sour, slightly sweet, and does a good job of keeping you interested.

This beer isn't for everybody, but it has a bold, assertive, and focused taste that makes one think that the makers really knew what they were aiming for. (667 characters)

"Vinnie, don't put too many onions in the sauce!" Reading reviews before getting the opportunity to try a particular beer can be enlightening. Having felt the Green Flash West Coast IPA was pretty average, a friend recommended Palate Wrecker and gave me one to try.

The nose on this ale is really pleasing and inviting, hops abound for sure,plenty of grapefruit and other tropical tones. The pour was a pretty clear deep orange with about an inch of foamy white head. The aroma is a big feature here.

Flavor wise, this is a hoppy brew that rests heavily on the palate and has a savory character to it. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy and halfway through, it becomes quite rich and not suited to chugging: this is a slow drinker. It really does have a savory onion quality to the aftertaste despite the citrus aroma from the hops. Some claim they can smell the onion in the aroma, but that isn't what I took away from it, so the flavors were deceptive to me given the attractiveness of the nose (I was expecting a sweeter aftertaste I guess).

The aftertaste is not displeasing as the brew is quite hoppy and peppy. I can appreciate the variation from the typical citrus bomb, and cannot knock it for that, but the flavor is not one I prefer to have in the rotation despite the interesting character, and quality ingredients. A couple of my friends really dig PW, and I respect their opinions, but at $14 a 4 pack not likely one I will reach for any time soon with all the choices out there. (1,489 characters)

A: Pours a clear deep orange with an off-white head that quickly thins. Unusual but interesting lacing.

S: Piney and citrus, mostly citrus. Not as strong as expected, but pleasant.

T: Huge juicy citrus followed by a piney grapefruit bite. Bitter finish, then a creeping dryness. Alcohol well hidden. An amazing citrus to pine journey in seconds.

M: Medium carbonation. Full bodied. Palate still intact.

O: The freshest Palate Wrecker I've had, and by far the best. The juicy citrus was far more pronounced, the hop bitterness less harsh, and the alcohol more concealed than in previous tastings. A wonderful hop bomb. Highly recommended if you can find it now. (700 characters)

A: This poured a clear gold with lots of off white head.S: It smelled like tons of grapefruit, with some candied apricot.T: It tasted like sweet honey and bitter grapefruit, with some citrus zest and waxy hops. It had a clean aftertaste that was more bitter than the start. Woo!M: It was thick with a little carbonation. Great full body.D: This was a great IPA. The scent and taste were delicious. The body was amazing, but the finish was harsh with all the intense bitterness, so it was not easy to drink. I'd say this beer met its objective. Very nice brew. (563 characters)

Pours a clear shiny copper with one finger thick white head, settling to a thin ring, with wispy lacing left behind. Smell: grapefruit peel, resin, mildly herbal, with caramelized sugar and a little stone fruit in the back. Was expecting something more aggressive. Taste: oily hop extravaganza.. grapefruit, lemon rind, almost over caramel, then boozy with aggressive herbal and pine flavors, plus peach towards the end of the sip, finishing dry with a totally hop-wrecked palate. A tasty and intense hop-fix, not sure of its place in the DIPA elite, but digging it. Bottled 12/11/12. (584 characters)